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Basic Pillowcase Style Dress Instructions ~ And My Passion for Sewing Them

I have shared how my newest passion is making pillowcase dresses for girls in crisis.  It all began because I wanted to add more practical items in my Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes and chose to focus on including more clothing.

I had been introduced to the Pillowcase Dress idea a while back on Clip With Purpose, a blog focused on Operation Christmas Child, but promptly put it out of my mind.  After our move last year and my new "laundry room/sewing room" combo got set up I was ready to sew for kids in need and remembered Jessica's post and went "Googling" for pillowcase dress tutorials.  That's when I stumbled upon my newest favorite blog:  Sew Delightful!

One of Suzanne's latest.

Sew Delightful is written by Suzanne, the Dress A Girl Around The World state representative for Washington who creates amazing pillowcase dresses!  Her blog is full of information about sewing the dresses as well as stories and images of girls in need of dresses or in their new dresses.  And of course lots of images of her beautiful dresses.  So from visiting Sew Delightful I became burdened and inspired and have been busy sewing and sharing with others about Dress A Girl.  (I will be also including dresses in my Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes of course).

Before and after--inspiring me to sew more.

One way I am able to inform others is thru a local discount craft/cloth store.  The owner is promoting making dresses for girls in crisis and I am the volunteer, promotional materials and pattern maker.  So I have this information on my computer and I decided I will share it here with you as I make the handouts for the store.  This is the first:  Basic Pillowcase Dress instructions with two simple variations.

My instructions are not for using pillowcases, but for using fabric.  But they are easily adaptable for use with pillowcases.  In the PDF file there are charts for fabric yardage as well as cutting instructions for sizes 1/2 thru 14.  The instructions are based on Dress A Girl Around The World's standards which includes elastic in the top of the front and back.  These dresses also use bias tape to finish the armholes and continue on to form the straps.  Later I will share how to use ribbon for ties.  Click on the image or the link below to see the PDF file.

Basic Pillowcase Style Dress Instructions for Sizes 1/2 thru 14

To learn more about dressing girls in crisis visit:

Check out this list of blog linkies I often link up to and check out the buttons near the bottom of this page for more blog linkies--a great source for new projects.  

Design and instructions copyright Simply Shoe Boxes.  Please enjoy using this design for your personal use and for giving.

Guess What I Have Been Up To? Dressing Girls

I have been so busy sewing I have not stopped long enough to blog :-).  I have discovered a wonderful organization that collects pillowcase dresses for girls in crisis.  Just my thing--sewing for children in need.  Look at these images of girls before and after receiving their new dresses from Dress A Girl Around The World and you will see why I am excited to join them.

Dress A Girl Around The World’s [DAG] goal is to provide dignity and protection to young girls in crisis situations while letting them know they are loved.  Their website says there are many “girls who live in a society where they have no value—where they are used as slaves—where they are abused and preyed upon and no one considers this to be unspeakable injustice.  By providing a new dress you may well be changing a young girl’s destiny. Village pastors tell us that a girl wearing a new dress presents an appearance that she is well cared for and may discourage would-be predators.”

I also have been working with a local craft/fabric store to promote the dresses and helping others find fun in making these delightful dresses for delightful girls all over the glob.

So I have been sewing away--here are a few of my recent "designs."

You can find out more at DressAGirlAroundTheWorld.com and Sew Delightful, a blog written by the Washington State Representative.

No-Sew, Woven Heart Fleece Scarf Tutorial ~ Great Project for Children

I mentioned earlier that my current quest is the making of warm clothing for children on Reservations in SD thru Dress A Girl Around the World and this fun scarf is perfect to brighten a child's day and keep a neck warm.  As I've shared in the past, I am not very good at repeating the same thing over and over again, so I am always looking for new ideas or designing my own, and that is how I stumbled upon this blog post about a scarf making party for girls over at Giver'slog where the author shared directions for the scarf.  Now, having the personality I do, I made some minor changes when I made mine so I will share how-to's here (to learn a little more about my "I hate to follow instructions" personality check out this post:  Got Instructions?  No Thanks!).

This would make a great craft for kids to put together for giving to kids in crisis.  How about a Valentine's Day Party for the kids and they can make these to pack in their shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child this fall?  Maybe even make one for themselves and one to give. Theirs would always remind them of kids who are less fortunate.

Supplies:

1/3 yard of two colors of fleece (if you make the pieces a tad shorter you can get by with 1/4 yard of each)

For a complete no-sew--you will need glue the last two hearts together

Optional:  2 buttons, thread & needle

Instructions:

10" long by 6 3/4" wide.

Make a pattern (you can see mine here for an idea:  I folded the paper in half and cut a partial heart 5" x 6 3/4".  (Because I will be sending the scarf close to Valentine's Day I thought hearts would be fun).  Or you can make circles like the original poster did using a large jar lid or small plate or bowl as a pattern).  I imagine even a diamond shape may be neat--maybe for a boy's scarf (hmmm, think I'll try one).

Cut out pieces:
  8 -- of the color you will end the scarf with
  7 -- of the contrasting color

Slit made for insertion of next piece.

Center piece.

Starting with a contrasting color piece make a slit in the center about 1" from bottom point and 1" from top fold and about 3/4 to 1" long.  The original designer sniped hers vertically, I did a couple that way and tried a couple horizontal and my daughter & I both liked the horizontal better for the heart shape so we went with that.

This illustrates the two types
of slits--horizontal and
vertical.

Using a contrasting color heart insert (point first) thru the slit and pull up so center is in the slit and match points (I worked down one side of the scarf and then the other).  Make a slit in the newly attached one in the center about 1" from bottom point.  Repeat alternating colors until you have 4 of the main color attached.  Note:  I found that making the slits AFTER I had inserted the new piece worked better--when I made the slit first and then pulled thru it seemed to strain the slit in the one being pulled thru.  So you may want to try it both ways.

Starting at the other side of the center piece repeat the process.

Now if you are going to attach buttons center them and sew them on while catching the back side of the heart piece to attach them together while attaching the buttons.

If you are not attaching buttons use some fabric glue to attach the two sides of the end pieces--a small x of glue where you would normally make a slit will work fine.  Or you could stitch the two sides together.

I am considering using a touch of fabric glue to attach the fronts & back near the outside edges so they don't flop so much.  And if I make another one, I may actually stitch around the edge of each before attaching the next heart.

Tip:  Purchase fleece blankets on clearance and use for scarves.  I have read a good average for the length of a scarf is the height of the child.

Linked at I Gotta Try That. Check out this list of blog linkies I often link up to and check out the buttons near the bottom of this page for more blog linkies--a great source of new projects.  

Design and instructions copyright Simply Shoe Boxes.  Please enjoy using this design for your personal use and for gift giving.

Double Crochet Front Post Crochet Scarf Pattern (With Link to Hat Pattern)

Size variation by changing hook size
and yarn size--baby thru adult.

Crocheting is one of my favorite crafting techniques for donating in shoe boxes and to other charities.  It is easy and portable.  I learned to crochet as a young child, I can't remember when, I just remember always being able to.  The first thing I distinctly remember crocheting was a baby afghan for my first nephew when I was 11.  My grandmother learned from her teacher in a one room schoolhouse during her lunch break and my mother and sisters and myself followed in her footsteps.  Mary, from Clip With Purpose, also has a crocheting heritage in her Aunt Ida.

Mary shared her Aunt Ida's Hat Pattern and story a while back on Clip With Purpose.   Mary recently commented that Ms. Ida is currently 96 years old and has crocheted over 2500 of these hats for others in need, including those in prison.  I have never met Ms. Ida, but am inspired by her determination to make each day count thru helping others.

I had been wanting a quick and easy hat to crochet so when I saw the post by Mary I had to try "Aunt Ida's hat" (what I now fondly refer to each hat I make with her pattern) and I was not disappointed--it is quick and easy to whip up and with the front post stitches the hats have character.  There are so many ways to change up the colors making each unique, just like the individual receiving them.

I wanted to include scarves with some of the hats I make so I decided to create an Aunt Ida Scarf in a pattern as close to the hat as possible--keeping the front post design.  Below are instructions for making your own.  To find Aunt Ida's Hat pattern visit Clip With Purpose:  Crocheted Hats – Finding Purpose Through Crafting.

Aunt Ida Crocheted Front Post Scarf

Sizes:  I read a good average for a scarf is the height of the person wearing it.  Since I don't know the individual receiving my scarves I use the following average lengths. And since I am tucking them in shoe boxes I need to err on the side of shorter rather than longer so more items can fit in the box.

Toddler:  35"
School age child:  45"
Teen & adults:  55" to 60"

Hooks & Yarn:

Toddler:  Size H hook, light weight worsted or sport yarn
School age child:  Size I hook, regular worsted weight yarn
Teen & adults:  Size J hook, regular worsted weight yarn

Stitches used:

ch -- chain
sc -- single crochet
dc -- double crochet
fp dc -- front post double crochet** see illustration below

Size variation from changing hook
size & yarn type.

Instructions:

Ch 26

Row 1: work 25 sc, ch 3 turn (counts as first dc in row 2)

Row 2:  work 24 dc across, ch 1 turn (25 sts)


Row 3:  work 25 sc, ch 3 turn (counts as first dc in row 4)
Row 4:  dc in next st, {fp dc in next corresponding dc st of row 2, dc in next 3 sts,} repeat across ending with dc in last two stitches (25 sts)


Rows 5 +:  Repeat rows 3 & 4 until scarf measures length you want (see examples above).

Final Row:  work 25 sc

To adjust width change original chain by 4 -- add or subtract in groups of 4 (such as: ch 18, 22 for a narrower scarf or ch 30, 34, etc. for a wider scarf).

NOTE:  Front Post Double Crochet (fpdc) stitches used in this pattern:  Yarn over, insert hook from front to back to front around post of corresponding dc stitch below--in this pattern it is in the dc row below the sc row which is directly below the row you are working, yarn over and pull up loop, yarn over and draw through two loops, yarn over and draw thru last two loops on hook.

Check out this list of blog linkies I often link up to and check out the buttons near the bottom of this page for more blog linkies--a great source of new projects.  

Design and instructions copyright Simply Shoe Boxes.  Please enjoy using this design for your personal use and for gift giving.

Child's Fleece & Cotton Fabric Scarf w/Pocket Tutorial

Another fun scarf I found was this Fleece Scarf with Pockets.  I simplified the pattern just a little and made mine shorter--perfect for a child.  If you are interested in making a teen or adult size check out the instructions in the link above--you will need to add on for the pockets.


Supplies:

1/4 yd. Fleece Fabric (54- 60")
1/4 yd. cotton fabric (be sure to preshrink your cotton fabric before sewing it) (44-45")


Instructions:

• Cut both fabrics to width desired:  7" to 9" wide.
• Lay the fleece out flat with right side up.  Mark center of fabric.
• Fold back the top and bottom on top of itself right sides together--approximately 5 1/2" to 7" depending on how deep you want your pockets.
• Mark the center of the cotton fabric and line it up right side down on top of the fleece--this will overlap the pockets. 
• The salvage edges of the cotton fabric should be about 1" shorter than the fold on the pockets.  If it is too long, hem them so they equal about 1" shorter.
• Pin pieces together.
• Stitch using 3/8" seams along both sides.
• Turn right side out and flip pockets to front side.
• Top stitch 3/8" along both sides--you can top stitch along the bottom of the pockets if you want to.

Tip:  Purchase fleece blankets on clearance and cut into scarf widths.  I have read a good average is the height of the child = length of scarf.

Check out this list of blog linkies I often link up to and check out the buttons near the bottom of this page for more blog linkies--a great source of new projects.  

Design and instructions copyright Simply Shoe Boxes.  Please enjoy using this design for your personal use and for gift giving.